Plenty of ice to work with

Alaska's home advantage lies in the surface it plays on

By Adam Dunivan Sports Writer

Posted:
11/14/2012 09:34:48 PM MST

Colorado's Kevin Ulanski made his season debut with the Eagles in Wednesday's late game against Alaska, taking the roster place of Teegan Moore, who was placed on the 21-day injured reserve on Monday. (Steve Stoner)

The Alaska Aces play the role of bully at The Sully, and the long travel for most teams isn't the only reason they are so successful at their home arena.

Sure, the 3,000-mile trip doesn't help opponents much, but the Aces -- as is the case this week -- also have to travel back and forth. While Colorado made its way up to Anchorage for a late Wednesday game as part of a three-game set, the Aces also had to travel from playing at Las Vegas.

The Aces are successful at home in large part to the size of the rink they play on. Sullivan Arena is one of the more unique hockey rinks in North American in that it has an Olympic/International-sized rink (200 feet by 98.5 feet), whereas the traditional NHL-size surface is 200-by-85 feet.

That extra 13.5 feet all the way down the ice can create lots of problems, with the Alaska offense capable of breakouts that spread across a much wider area.

Players in Canada and the States just aren't used to playing that style on a regular basis -- unless you're an Ace, of course.

Alaska is 4-1-0 at home so far this season, and since 2009-10 have accumulated a 82-20-5-6 mark at The Sully.

"You have to play as a five man unit, and you have to pursue the pucks when we can pursue them. We're not going to try and chase out of position, because they really try and take advantage of that big ice," said defenseman Jason Beatty. "We just have to play our gaps, and our timing has to be down. And, we just have to work together.

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"One guy gets out of place, and you have to have that support, that back pressure to help each other out."

Colorado coach Chris Stewart has seen his team not win a game up there in the jump to the ECHL (0-4-1). But he said the way to solve the problem is to not think about what they are doing too much and focus on what the Eagles can do to counter.

"I think we're still concentrating on what we're doing. We have to remain a team that is in progress," Stewart said. "We keep playing as physical as we have been, the goals will take care of themselves. We always have to bring the physical aspect to the ice."

They've been bitten

Healthy for the most part the first three weeks of the year, Colorado has gotten bit by the injury bug of late. Luckily, there's at least one reinforcement, and a big one at that, joining the squad for the series against the Aces.

Stewart said the Eagles avoided a major catastrophe with Riley Nelson, who did not travel with the team to Alaska but is expected to be better toward the end of next week. He was banged up in Saturday's game and had to have an MRI, but whatever damage was caused is all soft tissue, Stewart said.

The news isn't as good on Teegan Moore, who has suffered with issues in his back for quite awhile now. He was placed on 21-day injured reserve on Monday, and treatment plans are still being talked about for the rookie forward.

With those two skaters absent, the Eagles did put Kevin Ulanski on the active roster after signing last week. Ulanski will play this week in Anchorage.

Trade winds

Not much trade activity has gone on quite yet in this the first full month of the ECHL season, but the Kalamazoo Wings and Trenton Titans pulled off a swap on Monday, sending Mitch Versteeg back to Kalamazoo in exchange for forward Justin Taylor.

Versteeg, whose older brother is NHL veteran Kris Versteeg, had a goal and five points to go along with an even plus-minus in 11 games with Trenton. Taylor, a centerman, had just three assists in 11 games with the Wings.

Kalamazoo added to an already strong defense that has allowed just 2.83 goals a contest.

Loose pucks

Gwinnett has won eight straight to vault them to the top of the Eastern standings. The Gladiators are 8-2-0 on the road. ... Idaho has earned points in 10 straight games. ... Las Vegas is just 2-6-0 at home. ... Reading's power play is clicking at an abysmal 6.6 percent (4-for-61); Colorado's 21 power-play goals, meanwhile, leads the ECHL. ... Joey Sides has goals in four straight games.

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